Mobile communications system and communications network

• US 5,828,958 A
• Filed: 09/27/1996
• Issued: 10/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Mobile Communications Network Inc. (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Uchiyama, Yasuyuki, Nakamura, Hiroshi, Ishida, So
• Primary Examiner(s): AU, AMELIA MEGAN
• Application Number:
  US08/716,182
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 455/433, 455/432, 455/435
• US Class Current: 455/433
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/06 Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server

Abstract

A mobile communications system including a plurality of communications networks, each of which has one location register (a home location register or gate location register) and one or more visitor registers. Each of the visitor registers is located in each one of visiting areas for storing information about a communication terminal. The location register stores the number of the visitor register of the visiting area in which the communication terminal is present, and the information about the communication terminal. When the communication terminal moves between the communications networks, the information about the communication terminal is transferred between the location registers. When the communication terminal moves between the visiting areas in the same communications network, the information about the communication terminal is provided from the location register to the visitor register. When the communication terminal moves within the same visiting area, the information about the communication terminal can be obtained from the visitor register. This makes it possible to reduce the traffic on the common control line between the communications networks and in the communications network.

Claims

1. A mobile communications system including a plurality of communications networks, and a communication terminal which moves in and between one or more visiting areas in said communications networks, and carries out a location registration in a current visiting area, said mobile communications system comprising:

a location register located in each of said communications networks for storing information about said communication terminal and a visiting area in which said communication terminal is present, when said communication terminal enters the communications network in which said location register is located from another communications network, and carries out said location registration; and

a visitor register located in each of said visiting areas for receiving information about said communication terminal sent from said location register in said communications network, and for storing said information about said communication terminal, when said communication terminal moves to the visiting area in which said visitor register is located from another visiting area in the same communications network, wherein said visitor register further comprises;

first timer means for counting a time period after having been reset when a call connection occurs to said communication terminal; and

means for registering in said location register a number of said visitor register of said visiting area in which said communication terminal is present, when said communication terminal carries out a location registration after said first timer has counted a predetermined first time period.

2. The mobile communications system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said visitor register further comprises:

a second timer means for counting a time period after having been reset when communications occurs between said communication terminal and said visitor register; and

means for deregistering said information about said communication terminal stored in said visitor register, when said second timer means has counted a predetermined second time period.

3. A mobile communications system including a plurality of communications networks, and a communication terminal which moves in and between one or more visiting areas in said communications networks, and carries out a location registration in a current visiting area, said mobile communications system comprising:

a location register located in each of said communications networks for storing information about said communication terminal and a visiting area in which said communication terminal is present, when said communication terminal enters the communications network in which said location register is located from another communications network, and carries out said location registration; and

a visitor register located in each of said visiting areas for receiving information about said communication terminal sent from said location register in said communications network, and for storing said information about said communication terminal, when said communication terminal moves to the visiting area in which said visitor register is located from another visiting area in the same communications network,

wherein said location register is a home location register located in a home communications network, in which said communication terminal is registered in advance, for storing said information about said communication terminal, and wherein said location register is a gate location register located in a visitor communications network different from said home communications network, for receiving said information about said communication terminal from said home location register and for storing said information, when said communication terminal moves from said home communications network to said visitor communications network,

wherein said visitor register further comprises;

a first timer means for counting a time period after having been reset when a call connection occurs to said communication terminal; and

means for registering in said location register a number of said visitor register of said visiting area in which said communication terminal is present, when said communication terminal carries out a location registration after said first timer has counted a predetermined first time period.

4. The mobile communications system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said visitor register further comprises:

a second timer means for counting a time period after having been reset when communications occurs between said communication terminal and said visitor register; and

means for deregistering said information about said communication terminal stored in said visitor register, when said second timer means has counted a predetermined second time period.

5. A mobile communications network including one or more visiting areas, wherein a communication terminal moves in and between said visiting areas, and carries out a location registration in a current visiting area, said mobile communications network comprising:

a location register for storing information about said communication terminal and a visiting area in which said communication terminal is present, when said communication terminal carries out said location registration; and

a visitor register located in each of said visiting areas for receiving said information about said communication terminal sent from said location register and for storing said information, when said communication terminal moves in from another visiting area, wherein said visitor register further comprises;

a first timer means for counting a time period after having been reset when a call connection occurs to said communication terminal; and

means for registering in said location register a number of said visitor register of said visiting area in which said communication terminal is present, when said communication terminal carries out a location registration after said first timer has counted a predetermined first time period.

6. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 5, wherein said visitor register further comprises:

a second timer means for counting a time period after having been reset when communications occurs between said communication terminal and said visitor register; and

means for deregistering said information about said communication terminal stored in said visitor register, when said second timer means has counted a predetermined second time period.

7. A mobile communications network including one or more visiting areas, wherein a communication terminal moves in and between said visiting areas, and carries out a location registration in a current visiting area, said mobile communications network comprising:

a location register for storing information about said communication terminal and a visiting area in which said communication terminal is present, when said communication terminal carries out said location registration; and

a visitor register located in each of said visiting areas for receiving said information about said communication terminal sent from said location register and for storing said information, when said communication terminal moves in from another visiting area, wherein said mobile communications network is a visitor communications network different from a home communications network in which said communication terminal is registered in advance, and said location register is a gate location register for receiving said information about said communication terminal from the location register of said home communications network and for storing said information, when said communication terminal moves from said home communications network to said visitor communications network, in wherein said visitor register further comprises;

a first timer means for counting a time period after having been reset when a call connection occurs to said communication terminal; and

means for registering in said location register a number of said visitor register of said visiting area in which said communication terminal is present, when said communication terminal carries out a location registration after said first timer has counted a predetermined first time period.

8. The mobile communications network as claimed in claim 7, wherein said visitor register further comprises:

a second timer means for counting a time period after having been reset when communications occurs between said communication terminal and said visitor register; and

means for deregistering said information about said communication terminal stored in said visitor register, when said second timer means has counted a predetermined second time period.